A relentless Calgary Wild FC squad showed no quit in a 2-0 loss to AFC Toronto on Saturday afternoon.
Looking for their first win against the powerful Toronto club, the Wild FC controlled the majority of the possession time but struggled to breakthrough the midfield and mount an attack.
AFC Toronto’s Zoe Burns put the home club up one late in the opening half with a deflection goal.
“The first half was pretty even. It was tough to concede a goal right before half time but I think on the whole we nullified any of Toronto’s threats in that half,” said Lydia Bedford, head coach. AFC Toronto. “I was confident in the group’s abilities to battle back from that. A 1-nil game is still very much there for the taking and we talked about the importance of the next 15 minutes at the half.”
AFC Toronto stormed back onto the pitch for the final 45 minutes. The American-born defender, Burns, added her second strike of the afternoon off a set piece two minutes into the second half, allowing the home club to manage the clock for the remainder of the match and continue to maintain sole possession of first place overall in the Northern Super League standings.
“We talked all week about how the next eight games are about fighting for each other and I was proud of the players’ response. The energy they brought today was really good,” added Bedford. “We did continue to fight for each other today until the end and nearly scored in the final minute of the game. We likely just didn’t have enough chances today.”
Calgary topped the visitors in possession time, controlling the ball for 53 per cent of the match. The Calgary Wild FC were not able to convert either of their two shots on target. AFC Toronto attempted 13 shots with Wild FC keeper, Stephanie Bukovec, stopping two of the four on target. The visitors had 360 accurate passes to Toronto’s 320.
Calgary will now travel to the West Coast to face the Vancouver Rise FC, September 6, before returning to McMahon Stadium for a block of home games.
“It’s about a quick reset to the next one,” said Bedford. “We can only focus on the game in front of us as they come so we will put our attention now on Vancouver before getting home for a block of games where it will be good to have the support of our fans.”
Video Highlights of Match vs AFC Toronto
Media can access video highlights from the opening match on the Northern Super League YouTube Channel.
Match Summary
A complete match summary and stats can be viewed here.
Free Kicks
- Calgary Wild FC now sit in fifth place with a 6-10-2 record.
- Calgary Wild FC will remain on the road for one more match when they visit Vancouver Rise FC on September 6.
- Calgary Wild FC will host their inaugural “Pride Match” presented by Pembina on September 13 when the Montreal Roses FC visit McMahon Stadium at 2 pm.
2025 Northern Super League Schedule — Secure Your Seat
Tickets for all Calgary Wild FC matches are available here.
About Calgary Wild FC
Calgary Wild FC is one off six teams in the newly created Northern Super League which will begin its inaugural season in 2025, featuring some of the best women’s soccer players in the world. Shop our exclusive merch and be one of the early #fansinthewild. For the latest news and information on Calgary Wild FC, visit www.calgarywildfc.com or follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and X. Follow the league at www.nsl.ca.
Media Contact
Chris Dornan
Calgary Wild FC
T: 403-620-8731
E-mail: chrisdornan@calgarywildfc.com